Page 68 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

“I’m not here to judge.” Although, I wasn’t sure if the potion or the hanging upside down helped with the sea sickness.

“And what are you here for, Lady…” He brushed his long hair to one side, revealing slightly sloped ears full of hooped earrings and a shaved side of his head. He placed an eye patch over the hole where his eye had once been.

“Aelia Springborn. Tharan said you might be able to help us get to the Isle of Fate.”

Conrad lit a cigarette, holding it between his lips while slipping on a button-up shirt over his toned torso.

“And what would the three of you need from the Isle of Fate?” He let smoke billow into the air. I followed its trail over the peeling wallpaper to the single porthole window.

“That’s our business and our business alone. I just need to know if you can get us there.”

“Oh, I can get you there, alright, but it’ll cost you.” He plopped onto the sagging bed.

“I have gold. Name your price.”

A smirk crossed his handsome face. Two dimples marked his cheeks. “What I want can’t be bought with gold. Only someone with your talent, Mind Breaker, can get it for me.”

“And what’s that?”

“The siren’s song.”

My mouth fell open. “You want me to steal a song from the temptresses of the sea? How exactly am I supposed to do that?”

He reached for an apple on the side of the bed. “The sirens have a queen who lives in the caves just south of Ruska. Without her, their songs are useless against seamen. They all harmonizeto her tune. Use your abilities to convince her to give it to you. It shouldn’t be hard if you’re as good as they say.”

I took a deep breath, contemplating my options.

“It’s suicide to enter the siren’s lair,” Amolie chimed in. “You’re sending us to our deaths.”

Conrad got to his feet, straightening himself to his full height. His blue eye locked on Amolie’s. “I am the only one who can get you to the Isle of Fate, and even then, the odds of dying are high. If I get you there and back, I want a reward and I need the song…for personal reasons. The exchange only seems fair. One suicidal mission for another.”

“What if I could guarantee our safe passage?” I asked.

“Ha! Only the queen of the Undersea could do that, and I wouldn’t make a deal with her.” He sliced his apple, lifting a piece to his lips.

“She will make one with me. And she will honor it.”

He shrugged. “Whatever you say, Mind Breaker. Just get me the song.” He leaned back on the bed and shut his eyes. “You’re lucky Tharan saved my life. I wouldn’t do this for anyone but him.”

I went to speak, but he waved us away.

“Come back when you have the song, or don’t come back at all.”

The Tower of Fate loomed ominously across the bay, perched upon its unapproachable island. Did my mother know Baylis and I were so close? I pushed the thought out of my mind. This would all be for naught if I couldn’t get the siren song and if Ursula couldn’t make a deal with her queen.

I lit a cigarette, letting it burn in my lungs. Fucking sirens, why did it have to be sirens of all people? My fingers itched to turn the whisper stone in my ear and tell Tharan about what a ridiculous ask his friend posed. Had Tharan sent word ahead of me? Had he promised him things I couldn’t deliver? Was I being paranoid? Tharan hadn’t shown me any indication he was manipulating me. I shook my head. I’d only been sober for a few months. My mind was still healing from years of abuse. Was I putting too much faith in Tharan?

Amolie touched my arm, bringing me back to reality.

“What are you going to do?”

I exhaled smoke into the cool afternoon air.

“I guess I’m going to have to break the siren queen’s mind. The very thing I didn’t want to do anymore. I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.”

“I thought you weren’t going to do that anymore,” Baylis chimed in.

I eyed my sister sharply. She was fine with me breaking Ursula’s mind but now that I needed to go into the siren queen’s, she had an issue with it? What was going on here? I took another drag off my cigarette. I needed to calm down. Surely Baylis only wanted what was best for me. I was letting the ghost of my past control me and I needed to put them in the grave once and for all.

---